A fuse is an over-current protective device having a circuit-opening link that is heated and severed by the passage of current through it. Fuses have been used for decades to limit the amount of current that can flow through a conductor or load.
Although prior art fuses have proven to be reliable, they are problematic when used with printed circuit boards because the housings in which such devices are mounted tend to require relatively large areas. A fuse that is at least as reliable as prior art devices but which takes up less space would be an improvement over the prior art.